28 weeks//7 months!

28 weeks/7 months pregnant whooo!

How far along?

28 weeks 4 days.

Appointments/scans?

I had my midwife appointment on Weds for general check up, baby position, blood tests etc. I had my 4D rescan on Friday! Look at her little hand blocking her face haha!

Next antenatal appointment is at 32 weeks. My midwife appointment was slightly dramatic in that I fainted and threw up everywhere-lovely! She called yesterday though to say I have low iron so I now have to take special tablets.

Symptoms?

Breathlessness, heart racing. Still suffering quite badly from SPD but lots of rest is helping. Rib pain is still bothering me, especially on the right side where her little head is! Also horrible teenage acne, leg cramps in the night and some breathlessness. Sleep hasn't been too bad since I have started using my long pregnancy pillow from Argos-it fits nicely under my bump now and also helps my rib pain. I am also starting swimming this week in the hope it helps my pains!

Cravings?

Nothing unusual, most of my cravings have gone now although still loving the sweet stuff. Haven't I always though?

Emotions?

Depression wise I have been ok. Stressed about work. Feeling very excited as my due date gets closer. Slightly nervous as I have began to start reading about labour and all it entails...

Bump?

Feeling a little heavier than last week-no real stretch marks yet, just a few tiny ones on the side. I have no idea of my weight gain to be honest-last time I was weighed was at 10 weeks! Keep meaning to find out how much I weigh now.

Baby Movement

Quite erratic and worrying! 2 quiet days followed by 2 active days seems to be her pattern currently although she has been a bit more active recently. She likes to start moving and kicking at around 12am and also around 5am. The sonographer yesterday said she was a VERY active baby so obviously I am not feeling her every move!

Baby Measurements

Around 2.5lbs and about 14.8 inches long. She can now blink and also has pretty little eyelashes!

Name/Gender

Still a girlie lol! And very much decided on the name-it's sooooo cute, trying not to tell too many people!

 

How is Daddy feeling?

Getting more excited each and every day. Treating Mummy like a princess.

Most looking forward to? 
Other than meeting our baby girl obviously! Mmm I guess just enjoying the summer and last few moments of me time before I giving it up forever lol. Oh and getting the wardrobe delivered and finally being able to hang up all her pretty clothes!

Best baby bargain this week

A very pretty second hand Cath Kidston baby sleepsuit for £1.50!

Still to buy?

A few more blankets, buggy, cot mobile, baby monitor, things for hospital bag, wardrobe for her clothes, curtains, socks and tights....and maybe some more clothes.

Best Baby Moment this week

Just talking to Michael about our future with our little girl and all the amazing things we have to look forward to.

xoxo

27 weeks: Third Trimester!

Just a little post to say I am now officially in the third trimester whooo! The final third of my pregnancy is upon us and I can't believe there are only 13 weeks to go. At 27 weeks, baby weighs just over 2lbs and could survive (with a lot of medical help) on the outside world! As much as we are desperate to meet her though, we want her to stay in there until September :) Here are a few bump pictures from this week (the dress is super cosy and great for my big belly, £12 from Matalan):

I am back to work tomorrow after quite a while off so feeling a little anxious about that. However I am hoping that things can be made a little easier for me as my sciatica has been so bad lately. Fingers crossed :) I have my 28 week midwife appointment next week-I remember booking this when I was 16 weeks along and thinking 'wow, that is ages away!' and now I can't believe we have almost reached the 7 month mark. I think it is just a general check up, feel of how baby is growing/positioned and also some blood tests. After this I shall be seeing my GP/midwife every few weeks....in the lead up to the big day, argh!


As I mentioned in my video, we went for our 4D Babybond scan last Saturday and whilst we had a great experience seeing our little girl, we were a little disappointed with our pictures (we did get 3 good ones but for the price paid, expected more!). I sent an email explaining my disappointment to Babybond and they have offered us a free re-scan to try and get some better photos. So I am just in the process of sorting out when we can go, so watch this space, hopefully we will get to go again :) Here are the pics we got x

I especially love the one third from the bottom. She is such a little cutie-I never expected her to smile so much and look so content. We are already so in love, not long until we get to see her beautiful face for real :)
xoxo

New Blog Video! xxx

Made a new blog video today, excuse my bunged up voice! Thanks to everyone who watches, reads my blog etc. Appreciate it lots :) xxx

26 weeks x

Wow 26 weeks (and 3 days) and I am feeling pretty pants. I started feeling a bit groggy last weekend but just put it down to a throat infection. However during the past few days this has turned into either a very heavy cold or flu which kinda sucks even more when you are pregnant because you really can't take ANYTHING (other than paracetamol which lets face it, does sod all). So I stuck whimpering and moaning at home whilst my Mum and Michael make me drinks and cater to my needs...I guess it isn't all bad then. Thankfully I am still signed off work so I have been able to do some serious resting which I am so grateful for because I am really not sleeping well at night. Although on the plus side I now have physio next week for my sciatica, thankfully the doctors fast tracked me to here's hoping the pain will ease soon :)

Last weekend we were also a little worried because baby hadn't moved much at all for a few days. I was very tempted to call the midwife but thankfully she started kicking again, all it took was a sweet song from her Daddy. I just love seeing Michael so completely excited to meet her, it melts my heart. That man is going to make such a wonderful father. So generally her movements have slowed down a little but she comes to life in the evening when I want to sleep. She doesn't like me lying on my side. Or back. Or tummy. So what is a girl left to do? Sleep standing up?! A soft pillow tucked under my bump has become a lifesaver recently.

Bump wise, it has definitely changed a little and I think she may have moved up a bit-possible reason for my rib aches and her lack of movements for a few days?! Apparently around this time babies have a growth spurt so she is well on her way to being around 2 pounds soon. 2 POUNDS. That sounds huge...but then I remember that I will have to push 6-9 pounds worth of baby out of me. Squirm.

Here are a few pics (no face this time-I look like Phil Mitchell on a very bad day although you do get the added bonus of my chest area)

Baby bits wise, Michael and I have finally bought a sling! It was a bargain from Kiddicare at £20 and we are hoping to get some decent usage out of it-especially when we go on short trips to the park (we are so lucky to live around the corner from Richmond Park-many duck feeding missions will be had). I also bought a really cute pink 'baby box'-a completely uneccessary purchase probably but we have a lack of storage in our flat and I thought, as you can see, it would be perfect for storing bits like nappies and bath stuff so I can take it to and from places. It is lovely and very much worth the £9.50 I paid! Plus, it's PINK. No more to be said.

I bought a few new maternity clothes from New Look a week or two ago. Unfortunately I had to return most of it because they fitted horribly on me. However, their 'Maternity Yoga Pants' are an absolute godsend. They are SO comfortable and were only £12.99. I got them in black and highly recommend them to all the preggers ladies out there. Those who know me know that I am a not a trousers person but needs must...50% of my dresses no longer fit!

I have picked up a few clothes on Ebay but haven't seen much I have liked recently which is probably a good thing as my monthly wage is mostly going on things for our little princess. Still, she will be lucky to have some lovely clothes to wear when she arrives :) Here are a few of the bits I have picked up this week:

Saturday is a very exciting day! We are seeing our little girl in 4D for a 'Babybond Bonding Scan' and I hope to get some little pictures to share with you on here. As part of the package we also get a growth report, wellbeing check and weight estimate for when she is born. I am so excited as I have heard so many good things about 4D scans and it seems the perfect time to have one! When I am better I may do a little video about it. Yipeee xoxo

Buying for baby....on a budget!

Michael and I are on pretty modest wages. Over the past few months we have found ways to save some serious cash when it comes to buying things for the baby. With only a few months to go, we are almost pretty much sorted for her arrival and we haven't spent a great amount. It's called being thrifty and frugal (my two favourite and most over-used words) and here is how you do it! p.s: There is nothing wrong with buying everything new. There is nothing wrong with paying £1000 for a buggy. However it's still pretty damn satisfying getting a great bargain. 

This week I am focusing on BABY CLOTHES!

Baby Clothes...

If you are anything like me, you will not listen to the people that say you don't need many baby clothes. 'They grow out of them so quickly!' and 'It doesn't matter what the baby wears in the first few months.' All true but let's face it, buying baby clothes is one of the most enjoyable things about pregnancy. When you're aching from head to toe, broken out in teenage acne and haven't been to the toilet for 4 days...well, a pretty little dress all neat and clean on a hanger is very satisfying. It's true babies really just need the essentials at the beginning but it's H&M and Gap and Next's fault for making clothes which are just SO DAMN CUTE. I have admittedly bought a lot but 75% of the clothes are not new and sourced from various places. Here is how I have saved:

Ebay

My second home. If you search for baby clothes you will literally spend 20 hours of your day glued to the screen so go deeper into catergories and sizes to see what you really want and re-order to list them 'ending soonest.' I have won so many pretty things by bidding literally in the last 15 seconds and putting the real MAXIMUM I would pay. Mummies and potential mummies on Ebay can be real sneaky bitches (me included) so unless you enjoy it, don't get into a bidding war and only put what you are willing to pay. Search for items that may end at unusual times (past midnight) and you'll get less competition. Early morning and mid afternoon are the worst for trying to win an item. When you receive an item, offer feedback and give it a nice wash (even if it's been washed recently) and make sure you buy from someone in a smoke free home. They usually mention this in listings.

Charity Shops

Charity shops are almost better than Ebay because you get to see first hand what the clothes are like and the condition they are in (yes, people lie on Ebay). Fara in particular is excellent for baby stuff and they have special branches called 'Fara Kids' across London and Surrey.  Charity shops are not normally the sort of place you can haggle and they're normally decently priced...plus it is all goes to a good cause! Often charity shops will have great little baskets full of stuff for 50p and we have got some great little hats, leggings etc for next to nothing.

Car Boot Sales

I have had hit and miss opportunities for baby clothes are car boot sales but then London is lacking in any decent ones. Don't go for the stalls that throw their clothes on the floor and take no care. Also haggle for a price for a bundle if you are interested. Prices tend to be cheapest at car boots because people just want to get rid but just check little things like the sellers are not smoking all over the clothes (seen that many a time) and that everything looks and smells clean-you can't return them like you can in a shop or Ebay.

Shop Sales

Shops like H&M and Mothercare have good sales in their stores at least a few times a year. Mothercare in particular also has an excellent sale section on their website. Scour the net for codes-type the shop name and 'discount code' into the search bar and more often than not you can get yourself 10-20% off.

Supermarkets

I have found my best new clothes for cheap in places like Tesco and Asda. Their stuff is gorgeous and really cheap too. A few times a year they have baby events (which normally start online sooner than in store) so if you sign up to their site, you will get advance warning. Even so these places are excellent for basics like tights, leggings, sleepsuits etc. Tesco do lovely little vests for £1.50 each with lovely designs-I have bought a lot of these to wear under normal clothes.

Use friends and family
You are always going to have someone kind enough to offer you some freebies...so take them! Even if they're not always to your taste, it is always good to have a big supply and back up of things like sleep/body suits because babies obviously poop, wee and are sick over everything. I have had some lovely donations from friends and my family have bought some things also. Likewise, you can pass your things down to someone else once they are too small.

A few more little money saving tips...

• If you do spend a lot on a designer item, consider selling it on once it's too small (obviously if it's good enough condition) on Ebay-you probably won't get back what you paid but you will no doubt get a good return.
• Look out for NCT Nearly New Sales-you can search for your nearest by postcode on their website
• If you can't afford anything now, you could consider websites such as Very and Littlewoods and 'Buy Now Pay Later'. Although check interest rates and consider if you can pay it back.
• Buy some bigger things too. I have bought some 6-9 months clothes because I don't know what our money situation will be like next year (maternity pay is crap) and also, you don't know how big your baby will be/grow! 
• Consider the seasons and weather changes when buying ahead. So if your baby is born in September like ours, consider slightly warmer 0-6 months clothes.

xoxo

Reaching 6 months x

It's sad but I have already started counting down the days until we meet our little girl. 103 to be exact! Only just under 15 weeks to go! I am feeling so bonded to her now, every little kick or movement is so special and now that Michael can often feel them too, it makes it even more magical.

I'm 25 weeks and 2 days pregnant so I guess you could say I am now '6 months' along. My bump hasn't grown much in the past few weeks but I have been feeling her more and more, sometimes at 1am and sometimes at 10am! She doesn't seem to have a pattern but she is often quiet during the daytime so I guess that is when she is sleeping. I am lucky that *so far touch wood* I haven't really got any stretchmarks on my stomach although I already had some on my hips/lower back from my puberty years which thankfully are silvery/white now.

 6 months baby bump x 

 

 I have been suffering really badly from my sciatica unfortunately. I went back to work on Monday but have been off since because of it. I went to the doctors yesterday as part of my routine antenatal care (everyone sees their GP/midwife at 24-25 weeks) and told him the pain I was in. After examing me, he signed me off work for 2 weeks so I am very relieved as work has just been too much for me recently, especially with the heat too. It may sound pathetic but when you're on your feet all day and your hips and legs are constantly in pain...well it is really uncomfortable. I have some books and DVDS to keep me amused and I shall be swotting up on all things childbirth. Yay.

The appointment itself went well and he felt the baby's size and she is growing well. I heard her heartbeat on the doppler and it was lovely and fast :) He said all is good so again, very relieved! I will next see my midwife on 26th June for my 28 week appointment. I believe I have some lovely blood tests to look forward to!

My Mum and also Michael have been amazing at looking after me, although I expected nothing else because he is such a wonderful man. We spent a lovely few days last week just looking around Kent, going for nice meals, going to the harbour and talking abour our future. To know I have not only got my soulmate in life but also that we're going to have a daughter together, makes me smile so much especially on the days I feel low. I still get days where my depression gets on top of me but I am taking steps to remove all the negativity in my life.

We found a cute little shop in Ramsgate called 'Nanny's Attic' which sold lots of baby items, clothes etc and we picked up a lovely bright playmat and I also bought her an adorable bunny onesie for £1! I have so many clothes it is starting to get ridiculous now. I also bought some clothes from Maternity@New Look so I shall review those too. Here are a few of the other things we have bought recently:

Next Baby Coat from Ebay

Baby girl dress from Ebay

 Sleepsuit Bundle from Ebay

 
Avent Steriliser-£6 from Amazon

Tomy Baby Lightshow (projects pretty images on the ceiling and plays lullabies!)-£4 from charity shop

In the meantime, I am eating FAR too much at the moment-I am hungry all the time and I keep a packet of rich tea biscuits by our bed in case I get the urge for a snack. I have been pretty naughty with sugary things and I keep telling myself I will cut back and eat well...I am trying, honestly. All I know is that I am so incredibly excited for the next few months and the countdown to September! It really doesn't feel that far away now. I can't wait to meet you baby bear x x x

A letter to...my unborn baby x

Dear Baby Girl,

This is your Mother-a word I still find strange to write down because I still can't believe that in a few short months I will become your Mummy and you will become my daughter. You have been in my tummy for only 25 weeks but now I feel you move and kick every day and even though it hurts sometimes, I don't care because it lets us know you are ok and having fun exploring my insides. I am sorry if the view is not so pleasant-I do like my sweet snacks and everytime I do eat one, I feel you do a rolly polly and have even felt you have the hiccups before. Sometimes me and your Daddy get worried when I haven't felt you move in a while but that's ok, you soon let us know that everything is fine. It's almost like you want to ease our concern, our beautiful baby girl.

I want to tell you now that you are coming into a world where your parents are going to love you more than life itself. Your Daddy, called Michael, is the most kindest sweet hearted and loving man I have ever had the priviledge to know. I have no doubt he will spoil you rotten, snuggle you close when you are sad and make you the happiest little girl in the world. That is all we want my darling-is for you to be happy. We have had a lot of sadness in our lives but having you here will make our lives complete and we won't ever have to feel that way again. We have wanted you for so long and when we found out we were expecting you in January 2013, we cried with happiness and felt so blessed that we could be so lucky.

Your Mummy and Daddy met in 2006, in what way I will tell you when you are old enough but no doubt you will find it a sweet and funny story. Our story is one of true love and I hope one day, when the time is right, you are lucky enough to find your soulmate, whoever that may be, just like I have. We are the silliest two people you could ever meet, we laugh every day and we can't wait for you to be part of our joy-in fact, you already are.

Every day we talk about what we will do with you, where we will take you and our adventures as a family. Life will bring challenges as it no doubt has for us but we are here to protect you every step of the way. Just know that we will always support you in whatever to do in life-I never want you to feel the way that I felt when I was a child. You will always have both your Mummy and Daddy here to help you along the way-we won't let you down sweetheart. I truely hope that we can have the wonderful bond that I have with my Mum, who has been my rock throughout my life.

In 3 short months we shall be meeting you and whilst I am scared, I know that it will be the happiest day of our lives. The love we feel for you, already, is so strong. I hope we will be great parents who make you feel happy and loved, that is all we want for you.

Love your Mother, Cheryl x x x